The Economic Aims of Education

Abstract

This article explains and defends the idea that economic aims of education are as legitimate as any other, particularly liberal, aims. A particular conception of education is developed, which involves a significant vocational aspect, with two aims: individual fulfilment through employment and social well‐being through economic prosperity. This account is to be contrasted both with training, which may be an essential component of education but which is not to be identified with it, and also with instrumental forms of vocational education that do not take into account the need for satisfaction in the workplace. This conception is defended against various possible objections.

Alfabetización económica y actitudes hacia la compra en universitarios posterior a un programa de educación económica

“…Los antecedentes presentados permiten concluir que los estudiantes que participaron de este estudio, si bien aumentaron levemente su nivel de logro en la apropiación de conceptos económicos aún no cuentan con todas las destrezas necesarias para comprender de mejor forma el mundo económico que los rodea, lo que concuerda con estudios anteriores que indican la existencia de una débil apropiación de los conceptos económicos en la población general y en estudiantes de pedagogía en particular (Fagan, 2007;Winch, 2002).…”

“…De igual modo, las investigaciones en estudiantes de pedagogía indican una débil apropiación de los conceptos económicos y marcadas diicultades para transferir estos conocimientos a su práctica docente (Fagan, 2007;Winch, 2002). Un estudio realizado en estudiantes de pedagogía de universidades públicas y privadas de la zona centro y sur de Chile, reportó un 62% de logro en alfabetización económica, equivalente a una alfabetización rudimentaria que no permite al individuo la comprensión sistemática del mundo económico (Denegri, Del Valle, Gempp, Etcherbarne y González, 2010a).…”

Economics Imperialism and the Role of Educational Philosophy

“…Although more than 40 years have passed since Peters and Hirst's book has been published, it seems that their view has remained influential. As Winch (2002) notes, the idea that the education must have intrinsic aims has prevented many educational philosopher from giving due attention to the vocational and economic aspects of education. When, however, this line of thought and the conception of educational philosophy it produces are adopted, orthodox economic theory becomes irrelevant for the philosopher because, as noted, it has long sought to avoid making normative ethical judgments.…”

Education, Contestation and Confusions of Sense and Concept

“…Perhaps the most compelling of such reservations related to Peters' inclination to characterise education almost exclusively in terms of the acquisition of forms of 'academic' or theoretical understanding: indeed, it is not just that Peters appeared to neglect more practical forms of learning, but that there is much actual dismissal of the educational significance or value of skills in his work (D. Carr, 1978). From this viewpoint, much latter day analytical criticism of Peters' account of education has hailed from those particularly concerned to defend the educational role, for obvious economic as well as educational reasons, of vocational skills in present day schooling (see Pring, 1995Pring, , 2004Winch, 2000Winch, , 2002. Still, while I believe that those who question Peters' educational dismissal of practical activities have a point, it seems no less clear that any denial of his distinction between education and vocational training inclines to misunderstanding of his position.…”